Kansas carry on with band's first album in 16 years

After 16 years away from the studio, you'd think their record making days would be dust in the wind.

But, alas, veteran '70s (and '80s) rockers Kansas are back with a brand new studio album.

Granted, as with many bands from that era, there's been a revolving door of members over the last five decades, but there's one guy who has stuck it out since the band's inception in 1973 – guitarist Rich Williams.

Williams, along with original drummer Phil Ehart and new singer Ronnie Platt, who took over for frontman Steve Walsh after he retired from the band in 2014, headed into the studio a few years ago to test out new material for what would be their 15th album, The Prelude Implicit, out now.

And after that extended period between LPs, the obvious question was, why now?

"We had a bunch of new guys that wanted to do it, instead of guys who didn't," explained Williams. "It was the right time for it. Ronnie Platt needed his own songs to sing. So, we needed to write that record and continue the legacy."

Postmedia Network had a chance to chat with Williams down the line from his home in Atlanta about all things Kansas – the loyal fanbase, the latest tour and why they still get stoked about playing their hits for crowds.

Do you still enjoy touring as much as you used to decades ago?

A lot better now than I did decades ago. I have an appreciation for it now that I didn't then. We had a time when we didn't do anything for a few years. A friend and I started a company where we began building redwood decks – I had a whole new appreciation for playing the guitar (laughs). I found out how difficult it was to earn $100 with a hammer. It's not like I needed to do it, I wanted to learn how to do something else. We're having a lot of fun now in the band. Phil and I stress when this stops being fun we will stop doing it. That's why Steve left. His voice was failing and he hated being on the road.

Why do you think Kansas has been so successful for so long?

I think we are fortunate to have some songs that really mean something to a lot of people. Most of our music is ambiguous, timeless. Carry on Wayward Son …what does it mean? What it means to me and what it means to you could mean two totally different things because it's not about any one exact thing. It kind of leaves it up to the listener. We've been on the mat plenty of times but we've always gotten back up, dusted off, and got back to work.

Do you still get a kick out of playing the classics like Dust in the Wind and Wayward Son?

Sure. We don't do them in rehearsal … we know them. I don't sit around the house and practice them and get goose bumps (laughs). To play them in front of a crowd is a completely different experience. There's one guy on planet earth that gets to start Dust in the Wind – that's me. Everybody in the building knows every lyric; they all have a story to tell about what the song means to them, that it was played at their grandmother's funeral or whatever. Everybody relates to that song from a personal perspective and I'm the guy that gets to start that event every night. How could you be tired of that?

The Prelude Implicit translates to 'new musical beginning.' Do you foresee a day when you are no longer doing it anymore?

Yes. And about a week later it will be my funeral (laughs). What else would I do? Putter around the garden? Start playing some golf?

I'm assuming that after 16 years, you had a lot of songs kicking around?

No, not really. We decided we were going to record, but we didn't know what we were going to record. As it turned out, there were some things in the can. Steve Walsh didn't want to record anymore, so new songs we had written never really saw the light of day.

I'm guessing Kansas fans won't have to wait another 16 years for another album.

No. We're already scheduled to start another one in 2018. This one just came out and we're already talking about the next one.